weinke



A. F. WVEINKE LATCH April 26,1949. I

Filed July 51, 1944 INVENTOR fib'UTE MQ/VKE ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 26, 1949 UNITED STATES TENT k FFICE LATCH Wis.

Application July 31, 1944, Serial No. 547,335

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in latches.

It is a primary object of the invention to provide a novel and simple latch structure, requiring few operations and little expense for its construction and yet be sturdy enough to serve many purposes, particularly on a farm, where a strong substantial and easily operable latch is required.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view of my improved latch mechanism in perspective as applied, portions of the supporting structure being shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the structure shown in Fig. 1, various parts being broken away.

Like parts are designated with the same reference characters throughout the several views.

My improved latch organization includes a keeper 3 of 'novel construction mounted on the frame 4. To make the keeper, a piece of sheet metal of suitable contour is folded at 5 intermediate its ends and the terminal portions 6 of the respective plies are bent outwardly and pro-- vided with screw holes for attachment to the frame member. The upper margin of the blank from which the keeper is formed, is made to provide registering beveled surfaces at l and registering notches at 8 into which the bolt lever I0 is receivable.

Fastened to the stile H of the door or gate is a frame made to provide unitarily anchorage portions l2 and I3 for attachment to the stile, an offset guide portion Hiand a correspondingly offset mount portion [5, to which the bolt lever I0 is pivoted at I6. The guide portion I4 is preferably closed along the face of the stile H by welding a plate I! to the back of the frame so that the lever I0 is closely confined between the portions l4 and I! in its oscillation about the pivot 16.

The offset portion IE, to which the bolt lever I0 is pivoted, carries an extension at 18 and the lever itself has an extension at [9 beyond the pivot. Between the two extensions [8 and IS, a compression spring 20 is disposed, with its ends engaged over pins 2| and 22.

For operating the bolt lever [0, any desired type of handles may be connected therewith. The preferred construction includes a U-shaped handle 25 having its ends welded directly to the lever, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, and a bar 26 extending through a suitable slot at 21 in the stile H and provided therebeyond with a handle yoke 23. Thus, the lever [0 may readily be manipulated from either side. The resulting mechanism is simple but sturdy and satisfies the specified objects of the invention.

I claim:

1. A latch comprising the combination with a bolt lever, of a frame member having an anchorage portion and formed at one end of said anchorage portion to provide a support to which said lever is pivoted, and at the other end of said anchorage portion provided with a guide for said lever, said frame member and lever having extensions beyond the pivot and away from said anchorage portion, and a spring disposed between said extensions to bias said lever.

2. A latch of the character described, comprising the combination with a lever and handle means connected therewith, of a frame comprising a strap having an anchorage portion extending in general parallelism with the lever, a guide means connected with one end of the anchorage portion and embracing said lever, a mounting means connected with the other end of the anchorage portion and provided with a pivot for said lever, said handle means being disposed between the guide means and the mounting means, extension arms beyond the pivot from said anchorage portion on the lever and the mounting means respectively, at least one of said arms having its ends offset into the plane of the other, and a spring extending between the ends of said arms and subjecting said lever to bias about its fulcrum.

3. In a latch mechanism, the combination with a latch lever and a handle directly mounted thereon, of a frame for the support and guidance of such lever comprising a strap having an intermediate anchorage portion and an offset mounting portion disposed outside of said lever and provided with a pintle upon which said lever is pivoted, the mounting portion and lever having generally parallel extensions beyond said pintle, one of which has an offset into the plane of the other, a spring interposed between said extensions and acting upon said lever for the biasing thereof, and a guide means connected with the anchorage portion of said strap and extending outside of a free end portion of said lever and comprising means for confining the free end portion of the lever and restricting its pivotal movement about said pintle.

AUGUST F. WEINKE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 613,659 Brown Nov. 8, 1898 991,394 Tifft et al May 2, 1911 999,413 Stark Aug. 1, 1911 1,009,001 Weber Nov. 14, 1911 1,101,944 Mangin June 30, 1914 1,213,040 Twombly Jan. 16, 1917 1,861,252 Whitcomb May 31, 1932 

